1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of medical device holders and, more particularly, to medical device holders that may be utilized at a variety of locations.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Medical instruments, such as trocars, scalpels, thermometers and yankauer suction devices, are used to treat patients in healthcare facilities and in the home. Some devices are intended to be used repeatedly on a single patient, and may be used for up to 24 hours or more. The replacement of these medical instruments is based on functional and infection control considerations that may be unique for each instrument. Among the considerations used to determine the replacement frequency of these instruments is the control of accidental contamination from contact with environmental surfaces. It is well known that exposure to microbes found on environmental surfaces, such as table tops, intravenous (IV) poles, bed linens and floors, could adversely affect the health of the patient. Likewise, healthcare workers, care providers and family members can be exposed to potentially harmful microbes found in secretions and fluids from the patient. Contamination of environmental surfaces from used medical devices can also lead to contamination of subsequent patients if microbes are not removed or killed during the cleaning process. Therefore, it is useful to have a means to store these medical instruments to protect both the patient and others from harm caused by exposure to microbes.
Additionally, it is important to assure that the medical instrument is available for use when needed during treatment of the patient. In some cases, it is desirable to be able to temporarily store medical instruments in a storage device during patient transport between different parts of a medical facility, during ambulance transport or in other circumstances where patient care instruments must be used to treat the patient.
In the absence of appropriate holders, users have been known to store medical instruments in open graduated cylinders, under bed pillows, by hanging over IV poles or back in the original packaging. These methods encourage accidental contact with potentially contaminated surfaces, as well as allowing the accumulation of secretions from previous uses. In an attempt to address this problem, various storage devices have been developed to store and protect medical instruments, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,915,963; 5,927,974 and 6,077,074 to Homra, U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,551 to Ciechanowski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,286 to Wright; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0192064 to White et al.; and U.S. Design Pat. No. D541,933 to White et al.
In some cases, the mechanisms used to attach such storage devices to bed rails, IV poles, head boards and other equipment are elaborate and expensive. By design and cost, these attachment mechanisms are often intended to be used with multiple storage devices during the course of treatment for one patient, and are very often used for the treatment of multiple patients. Repeated use of the attachment mechanisms, and reusable attachment mechanisms in particular, can create infection control risks if decontamination is incomplete, and in some cases complete decontamination may not be possible at all.
In addition, bed rails, IV poles, head boards and other equipment often have dimensions of differing sizes and geometries that make the use of a single attachment mechanism very expensive or even unachievable. For example, while an IV pole is generally cylindrical and uniform with a circular cross-section, a bed rail may be oval or rectangular in cross-section.
Some of the patent documents noted above disclose multiple attachment mechanisms to accommodate different sizes and types of rails, poles and equipment. However, a single, universal mechanism that accommodates these varying geometries while allowing for stable, secure attachment at a preferred, convenient location near the point of patient care, and that can be effectively decontaminated for infection control purposes, has not been developed and is not disclosed in the storage devices referenced above. In addition, the prior art fails to address the need to securely retain the medical instrument within the holder until needed. Therefore, there is seen to exist a need for a storage device that can be positioned where needed, that can effectively retain a medical instrument in a storage position and that allows for effective infection control practices.